Football - History lesson for young Addicks

Charlton manager Chris Powell was satisfied his players had given their all despite seeing them pegged back twice in a 2-2 draw with Brighton that marked the 20th anniversary of the Addicks' return to the Valley.

Charlton beat Portsmouth 1-0 in their first game following exile back in 1992 but, two decades on, the Addicks could not claim another three points despite leading through Lawrie Wilson and then Bradley Pritchard.

"It's a point gained," Powell said. "It was a terrific 90 minutes. I suppose being 1-0 up and 2-1 up you wonder whether you could have held out but 2-2 was a fair result.

"We celebrated the day in the right way, it was just a shame we couldn't get the three points in the end.

"It was just a shame that the two goals we conceded were a mistake for the first one and a deflection for the second. But that's football and the fans got their money's worth."

Many Charlton fans remember the seasons when they were forced to play at Crystal Palace and West Ham because the board at the time could not afford to bring the Valley up to the required safety standards, and Powell had given his squad a history lesson beforehand.

"It's always wise for my players to know exactly what this club has been through," Powell added.

"It's good for them to know the history and what people fought for when we had to go to Selhurst and Upton Park, and it was fitting that we were playing Brighton because they had been through the same thing as well."